


Point of Origin

by JackieSBlake7



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-08 03:56:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13450017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackieSBlake7/pseuds/JackieSBlake7
Summary: A backstory to the formation of The Shire





	Point of Origin

Until others who called themselves "Elves" and "Men" and "Dwarves" had started travelling through the areas in which they lived, they had not given themselves a name - they were just "the people of a locality." There was a settlement on a ford used by many other-folk which was called Hobbit-place, and over time "Hobbit-folk" came to be applied to the people in general. They liked the sound of the word, and accepted it as the name of their people.

Then, due to the increasing number of other-folk in the area, some of whom were disruptive of settled communities of Hobbits and others, it was decided to settle elsewhere: information was sought of travellers of various kinds, including a passing "wizard", and delegations were sent to communities of other-folk including those Men who rode horses by habit, who called their lands Rohan, and those of Gondor - who had devised a "city" where they could live all together with little greenery, rather than the villages favoured by other folks. It was learned that there were unoccupied lands to the west, and that someone called "the King" in Arnor could give them official permission to found settlements there. As the Hobbits had a preference for "everything being arranged legal-wise" it was decided that this was a wise thing to obtain, so that other folks would not disrupt things when they were established.  
A delegation from the various Hobbit peoples visited "the King" and obtained the necessary documents, including being able to govern themselves peacefully, hold markets and other necessary aspects. The "requirements imposed" - which included maintaining the roads within their lands and to neighbouring communities, in cooperation with the latter, keeping malefactors from establishing themselves in the locality, and aiding the King's messengers and travellers were accepted - being little different to the rules the Hobbits followed in such matters anyway.  
The process whereby the Hobbits undertook their journey was more complex than the later stories made it, with different groups going ahead of and following on from the main body. It took a number of years to reach their new lands - both for the practical reasons involved in moving across largely uncultivated lands and dealing with the seasons, and with a wish not to draw attention to themselves as a population.  
Eventually they reached the lands they had been granted and started to settle in what became called The Shire. An arrangement was made with a village of Menfolk which had been established close to Hobbit lands, whereby Bree would be a market town where all folks could live and trade. 

The group of Hobbitfolk which included Smeagol and Deagol were among those who remained longer in their territories. They stayed partly because the leader, Smeagol's grandmother, enjoyed the ornate and bejewelled rings and other jewellery that were one of the items of trade in the area. Smeagol found the glitter and rainbow colours magical, and understood his grandmother's statement that they would bring her power wherever she went. He wanted the ring that Deagol found partly to begin his own collection - and so that when his people reached the new lands he would have some authority of his own. His people managed to start their journey towards the distant Shire before Smeagol returned from one of his "explorings", and so he made his way to the Misty Mountains.   
Gandalf told Frodo that Bilbo and Gollum had got on far better than might have been expected. What Gandalf did not realise was that they were, in fact, related.


End file.
